Page 14 of Dark Princess Ascending

"Peter—"

"No." He turned to face her fully. "You don't get to belittle my feelings, and you don't get to reduce my relationship with Marina to some temporary infatuation. And you absolutely don't get to plan for its eventual demise before we've even gotten married."

His mother's lips pressed into a thin line. "I'm your mother. It's my job to protect you from making mistakes that will cause you pain."

So that had been her plan. It was a last-ditch attempt to make him reconsider the marriage.

"Marina is not a mistake." The words came out as almost a growl. "She's the best thing that's ever happened to me. She makes me happy, and she makes me better and stronger. Do you think it's a coincidence that I got such an incredible promotion just as I was about to marry her? That's her influence on me. Her support makes me a better man."

"It's a mother's worst nightmare," his mother said quietly. "Watching her child walk willingly into heartbreak."

"No." Peter shook his head. "You see what you want to see. You see a human girl who isn't good enough for your immortal son. You see an ending before we've even had our beginning."

"That's not fair."

"Isn't it?" He started the car, needing something to do with his hands. "Tell me honestly—if Marina were immortal, would you have welcomed her with open arms? Or would you still have reservations about her?"

His mother's silence was answer enough.

"That's what I thought." He pulled out of the parking space with more force than necessary. "Well, I have news for you, Mom. Marina is who she is, and I love her exactly as she is. If you can't accept that, at least try to be happy for us..."

"Then what?" she challenged.

Peter took a deep breath. "Then maybe moving to the village isn't the best idea. In Scotland, you won't have to suffer seeing us together, being happy and all that."

His mother was stubborn—it was where he had gotten it from—and once she got an idea in her head she rarely let it go, but he couldn't let her intimidate Marina, which she obviously planned to do. He wouldn't let her poison their relationship.

How the hell was he going to break the news toMarina that his mother was moving in and had no intentions of leaving?

He couldn't allow it to happen. If his mother wanted to live in the village, she would have to do that in a house of her own, and he would make sure that it was far away from theirs.

7

KIAN

Kian rarely took meetings on weekends, but when Eleanor requested to see him while she was in the village for Peter's wedding, he couldn't refuse. She and Emmett had made the trip from Safe Haven, where they jointly managed both the spiritual retreat program and the government's paranormal research facility, and this wasn't a social call.

The café was relatively quiet for a late Saturday morning, and as Kian approached the table where Eleanor and Emmett were already seated, sipping on coffees from the vending machine, he was glad to see that a third cup was waiting for him.

"Hello." He settled into the chair across from them. "It's good to see you."

"It's good to be here." Emmett extended his hand. "How are things in the village?"

Kian smiled as he shook the Kra-ell hybrid's hand. "Never a boring moment."

"So I've heard," Emmett said. "Is there a chance I can meet the famous royal twins?"

Kian leaned back in his chair. "They will attend the wedding tomorrow, and I'll gladly introduce you."

Emmett grinned. "Looking forward to it."

Eleanor rapped her fingers on the table, looking impatient. She was not the type to indulge in small talk or tolerate it for long. It was one of the things he liked about her, and probably why he was in the minority of those who did.

"So, what's happening at Safe Haven?" Kian asked.

"The government has decided to terminate the paranormal program," Eleanor said. "They're offering severance packages to all participants and sending them home."

"When was that decided?"